Boy Scouts, public schools letter writers’ topics

It wasn’t even Friday the 13th, but I lost my wallet anyway. I retraced my steps from the restaurant to Walgreens where I planned to buy some vitamins. As I got out of the car, I checked my pockets and purse to make sure that I had my wallet, but it was gone. I jumped back in the car and drove to the restaurant, but they had not seen it. If they found it, they would contact me.

Then I went to the bank and changed my credit card information. Then to the driver’s license bureau and ordered a temporary license.

As a last resort I went to Walgreens. I explained to the manager that I had lost my wallet and I was retracing my whereabouts. She reached into her pocket and said, “Is this it?”

I cannot thank her enough, but another person was an angel: the one who found the billfold and brought it to the manager. Everything in the wallet was intact.

—Margit Jensen

Great Falls

Don’t divert funds from public schools

I am a mother, grandmother, and Spanish teacher at Billings Senior High. I’ve been involved in Teachers Integrating and Learning Technology and the Teacher Leadership Initiative. Currently, I’m working on my National Board Certification.

I’m excited about our innovative breakfast program that started last year. Senior is a very diverse school culturally and socio-economically. Kids often come to school hungry. Their brains need fuel to learn. This program allows students to request breakfast for free. I love that it fulfills such a basic need.

When my students don’t eat their whole breakfast, I put extras in my mini-fridge. Later, when kids get hungry, I pull out the leftover milk and cheese that gives students the lean protein boost needed to continue the day. I no longer see that sluggishness that would happen just before lunch and the last hour and half of the day.

This program benefits the wide range of students we serve, from our homeless kids to our AP students, so they all have the fighting chance to succeed. Public school is the great equalizer in our democracy.

Public schools all over Montana work to develop the potential of all our children. Private schools cater to just a few. That’s why public dollars should go to our public schools – not to private schools or charters with no oversight by our state Board of Public Education.

To the legislature: Please don’t weaken our public schools by taking funds away to support private schools that have no accountability to taxpayers.

—Teresa Mountains

Billings

Support Boy Scouts

Established Feb. 8, 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was created to teach young men patriotism, courage and self-reliance.

Today there are about 2.4 million youth participants, and over a million adult volunteers in the program. Locally, there are just under a thousand boy scouts and about two hundred adult leaders who have volunteered more than 2,200 hours of community service throughout this past year.

A major service project scouts undertake is called Scouting for Food. Last year, this food drive collected over 20,000 pounds of non-perishable items for the Great Falls Community Food Bank.

Scouts will be out in force on Saturday, March 18 putting bags on doorknobs around town. To help scouts collect even more food than last year, please put food outside your door on Saturday, March 25 for collection.

Other service projects include coat drives, a Veteran’s Day Breakfast, and removing trash from various parks. The Boy Scouts of America not only helps develop youth, the program has a tremendous impact on the community it serves. Thank you, Great Falls, for supporting scout adventures.